His first album featured a recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in 1968, became a staple of his many live shows (Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in 1969, the Party at the Palace in 2002) and was also known as the theme song for the late 1980s American TV series The Wonder Years. He continued his success with his second album, which included a second Beatles song: "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window". A hastily thrown together 1970 US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell. His 1974 recording of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US, and became his signature song. Cocker's best selling song was the US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a 1983 Grammy Award. He released a total of 22 studio albums over a 43-year recording career.
In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in 2007, and received an OBE the following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cocker
Studio albums
With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
Joe Cocker! (1969)
Joe Cocker (1972/EU: 1973)
I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
Stingray (1976)
Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
Sheffield Steel (1982)
Civilized Man (1984)
Cocker (1986)
Unchain My Heart (1987)
One Night of Sin (1989)
Night Calls (1991/US: 1992)
Have a Little Faith (1994)
Organic (1996)
Across from Midnight (1997)
No Ordinary World (1999/US: 2000)
Respect Yourself (2002)
Heart & Soul (2004/US: 2005)
Hymn for My Soul (2007/US: 2008)
Hard Knocks (2010/US: 2012)
Fire It Up (2012)
Shelter Me
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or the innocent of mind
It's a full time job
For anyone to stay alive
The streets have shallow boundaries
For the war that's everyone
What a wasteland for
Shelter me, baby shelter me
When I'm sitting like I'm losing ground
Shelter me
I've gone to sleep with one eye open
The other rolls my tears
In the darkness I can hide my heart
But none of my fears
In the morning like a soldier
I look closed up battleground
Another day, another [Incomprehensible] me
And the world goes round
Shelter me
Won't you shelter me?
When I'm sitting like I'm losing ground
Shelter me
Won't you shelter me?
Oh, shelter me
When I lose control of my only home
Shelter me
Every time I tumble down
I wanna pack it up and leave this town
But when I finally get the nerve
Get cleared out of the shoes
I'm thanking you, I'm thanking you
Baby shelter me, please shelter me
When I'm sitting like I'm losing ground
Shelter me
Won't you shelter me?
When I lose control of my only home
Shelter me
Won't you shelter me?
Oh, shelter me, baby please
Shelter me
Stay back and shelter me
Come on and shelter me
When I lose control of my only home
Shelter me
The lyrics of "Shelter Me" by Joe Cocker describe a harsh and unforgiving world where only the strong survive. The streets are full of danger, and it's a constant battle just to stay alive. The singer asks for someone to shelter him, to protect him from the darkness and the pain that surrounds him. He's lost and alone, and he needs someone to help him find his way.
The opening lines, "This ain't no place for losers / Or the innocent of mind" suggest that the world is a tough place to live in, and only those who are strong and brave can hope to succeed. The streets are a "wasteland" full of people with broken dreams and hired guns, and the singer feels like he's constantly under attack. He knows that he needs someone to help him weather the storm, someone to be there for him when he's feeling lost and alone.
The chorus repeats the plea for help, with the singer asking for someone to "shelter me" when he's "losing ground" or "losing control of my only home". The song is a cry for help, a plea for someone to come to the singer's aid and provide him with the protection and support he needs to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
This ain't no place for losers
This is not a place for people who have already lost and given up
Or the innocent of mind
Nor for those who are gullible or naive
It's a full time job
It's a constant struggle and requires all of one's effort and attention
For anyone to stay alive
In order to survive in this harsh environment
The streets have shallow boundaries
There are no clear boundaries or rules to abide by in the dangerous streets
For the war that's everyone
Because everyone is fighting for their own survival
What a wasteland for
It's a bleak and desolate place for
Broken dreams and hired guns
Those who have lost hope and those who use violence for money
Shelter me, baby shelter me
Protect me from the dangers that surround me
When I'm sitting like I'm losing ground
When I am feeling defeated and powerless
I've gone to sleep with one eye open
I cannot fully let my guard down even when I'm resting
The other rolls my tears
I am constantly sad and feel helpless
In the darkness I can hide my heart
I keep my emotions hidden from others
But none of my fears
But I cannot escape my fears
In the morning like a soldier
I wake up and prepare myself for another day of battle
I look closed up battleground
I see the harsh reality of my situation
Another day, another [Incomprehensible] me
Another day of facing my struggles and fears.
And the world goes round
Life goes on, and the harsh reality of the world continues
Won't you shelter me?
Please protect me from harm
Oh, shelter me, baby please
Please take care of me and keep me safe
Every time I tumble down
Whenever I fail or become vulnerable
I wanna pack it up and leave this town
I feel like giving up and leaving this place behind
But when I finally get the nerve
But when I muster up the courage
Get cleared out of the shoes
Leave everything behind
I'm thanking you, I'm thanking you
I am grateful for your protection and support
Stay back and shelter me
Please don't leave me alone and continue to protect me
Come on and shelter me
Please protect me
When I lose control of my only home
When I no longer have control of my own life
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: NICK DISTEFANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeremy Childress
One of the most underrated under appreciated singers of all time
Cocker sang with so much soul and feeling
PRIMADONNA
No he's not - I grew up in the 80s and he's very well recognized
Daniël Blok
Absolute goosebumps. God I love this song
Nina Brazil
Joe Cocker era um gênio!Toda a banda é sensacional.
Marcel Pop
Yes!!!!!!
Saxophone Valeria Kotelnikova
The songs of Joe Cocker will be always in my heart! Thank you for this video, subscribed to you))
Northlander56
One of the originals. RIP Joe. You were Sheffield Steel...😉
Gabriel Brosnan
A música mais linda desse cara!
Filipe Dantas
Está por fora! Kkkk tem várias!
Alice Schorbach
Just great, a beautiful singer forever and ever!!